After feeling like we have been waiting forever, the AHL announced the full schedule for the 2013-2014 season today. Teams had been given a few guaranteed home dates, including the date for their home opener, but not any of the information about who they would play those days. Now, fans can access the full schedule here to see when their favorite teams are playing.

There are a lot of exciting games, but there are also a few interesting things to highlight. The 2013-2014 season kicks off on Friday, October 4th with 5 games. One of those games will feature the reigning Calder Cup Champions, the Grand Rapids Griffins visiting the Rochester Americans to kick off their season. The Rochester Americans will also be taking a 12 day break in December to participate in the Spengler Cup. The Spengler Cup takes place in Davos, Switzerland from December 26-31 and this is only the second time that an AHL team has participated in the event.

The AHL is following in the footsteps of the NHL and will once again host outdoor games. The Rochester Americans will be taking part in this honor as well as they host the Lake Erie Monsters on December 13th at Frontier Field. The second game will take place on December 30th when the Grand Rapids Griffins host the Toronto Marlies at Comerica Park in Detroit. It is part of the events leading up to the Winter Classic.

This season, the AHL All-Star Classic will take place on Tuesday, February 12th and Wednesday February 13th. The location and further details are yet to be announced. Check back soon and we will have updates as the league releases them.

With the addition of two new teams, the AHL announced divisional realignments earlier this summer. The former Houston Aeros have relocated to Iowa and will be called the Iowa Wild. The franchise that was formerly the Peoria Rivermen will now be affiliated with the Vancouver Canucks as the Utica Comets. The new divisional alignments can be found here.

A New England girl, born and raised, Jessica Higham has grown up loving few things more than hockey. Although she has never considered herself to be a good skater, she fell in love with hockey back when boys still had cooties and that love has only grown since. She genuinely wishes she had been alive to enjoy ‘Miracle on Ice’ and considers it to be one of the greatest moments in US history. Nothing compares to the feeling of September coming and signaling the start of a new season, complete with a whole new set of ups and downs. After having been an avid reader and occasional writer, Jessica wanted to try putting the two loves together and writing about hockey. Aside from hockey, Jessica also loves music, going to concerts, animals, and walking on the beach. Email: jessica@thepinkpuck.com @JessicaHigham